Has Rafa Benitez got his shopping priorities wrong?

Why the capture of Keane and possibly Barry will do little for Liverpool’s pursuit of the Premier League this season.

Although I am very excited about the arrival of Robbie Keane and possibly Gareth Barry still, and do believe that they will improve Liverpool’s attacking potency, creativity and overall grit in the league, the absence of a winger on Rafa Benitez’s shopping list has once again dampened my hopes of a 19^th Liverpool league crown.

The arrival of Robbie Keane is one of great anticipation, yet I am a little worried as to how he will fit into the team. Liverpool’s strength last season was eventually found in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Torres proving more than effective as a lone striker, being supported behind by Gerrard, Babel and Kuyt.

Placating both the indispensable Torres, and the newly purchased Keane will mean a two up top policy surely? I am positive neither will be happy playing elsewhere as a wing forward or coming from deep, and nor should they be.

Unless the unpredictable Benitez is planning on keeping the lone striker system, and changing Keane and Torres every week, two up front seems the only logical formation to go with.

Now, this obviously means a change behind the strikers. With two strikers seeming likely, something Benitez has rarely been content with, is it conceivable to see an almost old fashioned 4-4-2 re-appear in Liverpool’s armory?

I am not entirely sure as to what other system could be played, other than potentially an obscure use of Babel and Gerrard, but a 4-4-2 seems the safest bet.

So, assuming there is a four-man midfield, and that Gerrard will remain in the middle, it begs the question as to where both Barry, and the ever popular Mascherano will feature. Without two strikers it would simply be two holding midfielders, like Mascherano and Alonso played much of towards the end of last season.

But with a four-man midfield, unless Gerrard will be shunted back out wide, either Barry or Mascherano will have to make way, and they both cost £18m. I doubt either will be content at life on the bench.

But my main issue does not lie in what system Rafa will deploy, nor how he will cope with competition for places. The burning problem for Liverpool this season will be the absence of a world-class winger, either on the right or left side, depending on where Babel is preferred.

The arrival of Torres last season improved Liverpool’s offensive play beyond description, yet in big games, against the big opponents, where defenses nearly always come out on top, we still lacked that potency and ability to break teams down. When the top teams play each other, breaking each other down through the middle is almost a myth nowadays.

Liverpool’s spine is as good as any team in the league, yet when they struggle to score, they often cannot rely on the wide players to deliver the goods to the extent that Man Utd, Chelsea and even Arsenal can.

There were instances last season when Liverpool were playing either the big teams, or away from home and needing to nick a goal and had to rely on players like Pennant or Kuyt. Whilst Kuyt proved effective at times in his wide right position, he frustratingly lacks the pace, dynamism and flair to prize open any defense single handedly.

Man Utd have the best player in the world at that, Cristiano Ronaldo and so can almost get away with any attacking weakness on the left hand side (although having Nani and Giggs is never a weakness)

Yet with Chelsea and Arsenal, they could rely on players such as Joe Cole, Wright-Phillips and Hleb, Rosicky, Walcott. Pennant and Kuyt are just not in the same league and would not get in any of the other top three as wingers.

Kuyt’s ability to be a defender up top should never be ridiculed as at times this was a valuable asset to have. However, should Liverpool feature a 4-4-2 formation this season with Keane’s arrival looking like this will happen, then either Kuyt or Pennant seem destined to play on the right side.

Whilst I feel Liverpool will get closer this season to the top spot, when they are up against the top three, or in need of a goal to escape with a draw or sneak a victory, the lack of a top class winger will again prove the downfall.

All in all, the addition of Robbie Keane and possibly Gareth Barry to Liverpool this season will undoubtedly add individual ability to the team. Keane’s threat in front of goal as well as his vision would be sought after by any team, and Barry’s all round ability in the centre of the park will be needed at times.

Nevertheless, their introduction does not raise questions about their worthiness to the team and their ability, far from it. What is worrying is how Benitez will utilize them in a formation that is effective and that causes as little disruption as possible.

My main concerns lie in how accommodating Keane will impact upon Torres and the entire system that was so potent last season, but also how despite them adding weight to the quality in the dressing room, the lack of a winger will again prove the difference.

I believe that Benitez would have been wiser to invest his funds into a world-class winger, possibly Quaresma of Porto, or even Bentley and Arshavin, rather than another midfielder and striker. This way, he could have kept the 4-2-3-1 system, but sorted out the weak link on one of the flanks.

Time will only tell as to whether this will prove fatal to Liverpool’s league chances once again. Who knows, maybe Benitez’s grand plan of using attacking full-backs will prove a master stroke, although I have my reservation about a bunch of youngsters and unknowns.

One thing is clear, none of us can read Benitez’s mind, and despite all the potential pitfalls and confusion the arrival of Keane and Barry but no winger will make, he is sure to have some concoction up his sleeve, ready to unleash on Fergie, Arsene and Big Phil...

Let’s hope so anyway.